Hi everyone! My nickname is Mars, and I'm from Manila. To be completely honest, I don't own a single 1:43 car model as of now. I have about 40 1:18 car models, from Autoart, Ignition Models, GT Spirit, and so on. I'm getting interested in 1:43 cars lately, add that to the fact that some 1:18 models are prone to getting paint blisters/rash, and 1:18 car model prices are steadily increasing. Space is another issue. I also don't have the time to properly maintain those models.

Now before I go ahead and buy 1:43 cars, I just want to ask a few questions, and also make use of this first post to gain some knowledge in collecting these small models.

Are 1:43 cars as prone to having paint problems as 1:18 cars do? I didn't have the time to maintain my 1:18 models, and from what I read in some forums, some 1:18 cars could have huge paint problems, to the point where the metal crumbled. Tires also cracked. I just want to collect car models, but of course I want them to last for a long time. Is maintenance the same with 1:18 and 1:43 cars? Also, since most if not all 1:43 models come in hard plastic cases, should I take the cars out from time to time?

To try and answer some of questions
It is not as common for 1/43rds to have paint issues as it is in 1/18ths though this is a degree of relativity. Both scales can have this issue and although more common in 1/18 it remains relatively rare. Metal crumbling is a different issue - it's known as Zinc Pest and can affect any diecast model where the metal contains impurities. Again it's not that common but it does occur in both scales
Tyre cracking relates to the compounds and softener used on the tyres drying out - can happen to any scale

But essentially any of the above can occur when proper care has not been taken during manufacturing

As to care - i display mine in cabinets and try as best i can to make the cabinets dust free and away from direct sunlight
Maintenance wise this means on occasion i move the models so the that the wheels turn. However this is all i do with my 1/18s too

Andy

British roads have history. Some were built by the Romans. British road investment being what it is, they have only been re-surfaced a few times since.

Would agree with everything Andy says. However, as you are in the Phillipines heat and humidity might be an issue. I would tend to keep models in their plastic cases if this were the case.

Thanks for the reply. I do keep my 1:18s in their original cases. They are all displayed in an open wood cabinet, out of direct sunlight. I also brush off dust from them whenever I'm free to do so. Still, some of my models incurred minor paint rash. And yes, I also thought of the heat here being the issue, that's why I'm a bit undecided in starting collecting 1:43s.

scalainj wrote:Welcome to the forum Mars

To try and answer some of questions
It is not as common for 1/43rds to have paint issues as it is in 1/18ths though this is a degree of relativity. Both scales can have this issue and although more common in 1/18 it remains relatively rare. Metal crumbling is a different issue - it's known as Zinc Pest and can affect any diecast model where the metal contains impurities. Again it's not that common but it does occur in both scales
Tyre cracking relates to the compounds and softener used on the tyres drying out - can happen to any scale

But essentially any of the above can occur when proper care has not been taken during manufacturing

As to care - i display mine in cabinets and try as best i can to make the cabinets dust free and away from direct sunlight
Maintenance wise this means on occasion i move the models so the that the wheels turn. However this is all i do with my 1/18s too

Thanks for the informative reply. I display mine in their original boxes in an open wood cabinet, out of direct sunlight. The only thing I'm not doing is roll the wheels of my models, and wax them from time to time.

Hi and welcome
One of my 1/18 model was destroyed, actually just the bonnet and boot (hood and trunkilid) because of zinc pest. Tried to prevent it when I saw the first signs by cleaning and waxing it with car wax to prevent air and moisture getting in the surface but it didn't help, it ruined them anyway.
Kept the model most of the time in it's original styrofoam packaging, that didn't help either. I did though few times photograph it outside in direct sunlight but those were only for short times. I have photographed other models like that and they have no problems at all even I haven't waxed them.

I don't usually do any maintenance for my models, some I have waxed once or twice but most of them I haven't. I keep them in their original boxes though to keep them dust free. When I photograph them, I wipe fingerprints away with soft cloth or q-tip.
Some models, usually NEO resin models seem to have tyres which leave marks to the plastic baseplate. I have placed peace of paper under each tyre to separate them from the baseplate. That's about all I've done to my models maintenancewise.

Looking at Google, this particular model, Norev Audi A6 sedan in dark blue, seems to be a problematic release as others seems to have this problem as well. It's up to the manufacturer to prevent this in the manufacturing process but if they don't, I don't think there's anything that the owner can do to prevent the disaster. In the big picture though, I think zinc pest is quite rare occurence.
None of my 1/43 show any symptoms for zinc pest and hopefully they'll stay intact.

Me being in Finland, the air conditions can vary a bit, temperature and moisture during the year. In winter when it's really cold, snow and freezing cold temperature, something like -20C -30C, air is quite dry but in summer, especially in spring and autumn, nights can be cold but days quite hot, air can be humid when the temperture starts raising in the morning, etc.
I don't have AC in my apartment so the seasonal temperature and moisture during the year can have affect to the interior of my apartment as well where I keep my models. Heater keeps the air temp minimum of +21C but during hot and sunny summer it can climb to near +30C.

Not sure if it's the alternating conditions or constant hot and humid weather which might cause problems for models though. I suggest buying just one, maybe cheaper test car first, altough selecting it from the quality range you intend to collect and see how it does in your weather conditions.
It may take few years though before the zinc pest starts to show up. My Audi was few years old when the paint started showing roughness but the panels were bent totally out of shape only after the model was almost ten years old.

Welcome Mars.
One thing to consider is that the issues with the paint crinkling up and metal deterioration is just that, an issue with the metal used in the making of the model. With the proliferation of resin models, first in 1:43 and now in 1:18 that part of the equation is removed. Are these thing built for the long haul? Who knows. I am guessing not. If one is sensitive to a potential loss in the future then perhaps its best not to buy too much or a least not buy what you can't afford to lose. Collecting diecast is not an investment, its a big expensive hobby.
That said its also an enjoyable one.

Are 1:43 cars as prone to having paint problems as 1:18 cars do? I didn't have the time to maintain my 1:18 models, and from what I read in some forums, some 1:18 cars could have huge paint problems, to the point where the metal crumbled. Tires also cracked. I just want to collect car models, but of course I want them to last for a long time. Is maintenance the same with 1:18 and 1:43 cars? Also, since most if not all 1:43 models come in hard plastic cases, should I take the cars out from time to time?

Hello Mars, Welcome aboard from a fellow Pinoy!

I have had more problems with 1:18's than with 1:43's in the 20 years I've been collecting (20 for 1:18's & 15 for 1:43's). A couple of my 1:18 AutoArt's have succumbed to zinc pest/diecast cancer to the point that the area's affected had become very brittle, with the metal/paint cracking & bubbling. I've also had paint problems with 1:18 Lane, Sunstar & ERTL models.

As for the 1:43's, out of almost 200 Minichamps that I have, only two had rough paint or rough surface problems. They were Aston Martin DBS from the 007 film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service (trunk area) and on a black Mercedes-Benz 190SL roadster (both doors). Apparently, this was a problem with all castings of those two. My only concern about some of the 1/43's are when cleaning them, the slide on decals or applique's used for badges & scripts can get wiped off. It is probably better to use an aerosol air duster to remove dust. I've had very good luck with 1:43 AutoArt, Matchbox, Biante, Paradise Garage, Hot Wheels, Classic Carlectables, Action, IXO (make sure the box it comes with says IXO, some cheaply made models claim they are IXO's but never show the box with their pictures), Schuco, Vanguards/Corgi/Lledo, Franklin Mint and Minichamps that have been in my collection for about 15 years.

Although I still buy 1:18 on very rare occasions, I primarily concentrate on 1:43's now because of space issues.

"I have to admit I dont understand 1:43. 1:12 and larger I get, but most 1:43 I have seen (MOST) dont look like real cars. They are usually off in some way."
-"lateapex".....a forum member from diecastxchange.com...

Thanks for the warm welcomes, everyone. My apologies for the late response, and while I haven't replied to each comment, I have surely read them all. I am glad to say that I am slowly transitioning to 1:43s, and I am now in the process of selling all my 1:18s (actually I already posted them up for sale after I made my first post, and some were already sold as of this writing).